Do You Trust God with EVERYTHING?

Dear Friends,

If you were to ask me "Do I trust God with everything?"  Then my answer would be "Yes, of course" and I would mean it with all sincerity.  Yet sometimes experiences have revealed that I don't always trust God completely.

 

The Bible teaches us to "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act."  Psalm 37:5 (ESV)  We are to trust him with everything - our self, our possessions, our finance, our relationships, our health, our work, everything.

Nearly two years ago, my daughter, Jess had to choose her GCSE options at school.  One of the subjects she really wanted to take was Childcare.  She submitted her choices and I prayed God would overrule so that she would be given the right subjects for her.  When I say I prayed God would overrule, I mean I prayed knowing that of course she would be given her choice of Childcare.  I knew it was right for her and God must know it was best for her too, right?

It was a shock when we were informed that there wasn't a place for Jess in Childcare and that she had been given her second choice, History, instead.  I couldn't believe it.  What was God doing?  Why had this mistake been made?  I was her mother, I knew it was a mistake and I wanted to fix it.  So I got involved (perhaps I should say interfered) to put things right.

However, in the end, despite my efforts on behalf of Jess, it was agreed that she take History rather than Childcare.

Now looking back after about 18 months of Jess' GCSE work, I can see that God had overruled and that what God was doing in Jess' life was actually right and best for several reasons, one being that despite not particularly enjoying school, History is actually a favourite subject of hers and she is achieving good grades in it.  I am so glad that my efforts to interfere did not prevent God's will being done in my daughter's life.  I was the one who had got it wrong, I had made a mistake, not God.  The Bible says "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." Proverbs 19:21 (ESV)

I don't know what would have happened if I had had my way.  What I do know is it would not have been in Jess' best interests and she would have missed out on all God had planned for her.

How wrong was I to believe that I knew best, that I knew better than God.  I had prayed and said that I trusted God with everything, including my child, yet my response showed otherwise.

My vision is short-sighted, I can only see so far ahead, and what I do see is not always the full picture.  I don't see things as clearly as I should.  It's almost like looking through a dirty pair of glasses.  God's vision is long-sighted.  He sees it all and that's why he knows what is best, not only for my daughter, but also for you and me.

Experiences like these teach me that I can trust God with every aspect of my life, and not only my life but those who are connected with me, those who I deeply care about.  These experiences encourage me to let go more, to relinquish my hold and control and place myself and my loved ones in God's hands.

 

Experience has taught me that I can always trust God with everything.  I can look back over my life and see that never once has God let me down.  Never once has he taken me in the wrong direction.  Never once has he failed me. 

 

My faith is strengthened as I trust in him.  I trust him because he alone is worthy of my trust. He alone is trustworthy.  Even if my trust waivers, even if I struggle in faith, he still remains faithful.  "If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful because he cannot be untrue to himself." 2 Timothy 2:13 (GW).  His faithfulness is never dependent on my faith in him.  He doesn't berate me or condemn me when my faith falters.  He loves me and his will prevails.

 

This is the God I know, and love, and serve.  Do you know God like this?  Do you know what it means to trust him completely?  Have you experienced his faithfulness?

 

To Think About:

Has there been an experience in your past when you have not trusted God?  Have you experienced the blessing of putting your trust in God?

 

In what areas of your life do you find it more difficult to trust God?  Why do you think this might be?

How has God's faithfulness to you in the past encouraged you to put your trust in him for the present and for the future?

Vicki